THE CLINICAL AND RADIOLOGICAL PREDICTORS OF INTRA-ARTICULAR PATHOLOGY IN HIP ARTHROSCOPY

Am J Sports Med, Feb 2011
Nepple JJ, Carlisle JC, Nunley RM, Clohisy JC
Arthroscopic treatment of intra-articular pathology and the associated structural abnormalities continues to evolve. Current diagnostic tools nevertheless have significant limitations in predicting the severity of disease preoperatively. The hypothesis of the study was that clinical and radiological parameters are associated with the prediction of intra-articular pathology in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy.
In total, 355 hips in 338 patients who underwent hip arthroscopy by a single surgeon were studied retrospectively. The clinical features and radiological findings (on anteroposterior and frog-leg lateral radiographs) of mild dysplasia and of cam- and pincer-type femoroacetabular impingement were compared with the labral and articular cartilage lesions found at arthroscopy.
On the basis of the results, the authors concluded that clinical and radiological features, chiefly male sex, older age, Tonnis grade and an increased alpha angle, are associated with more severe intra-articular disease. Recognising such associations between the clinical, radiological and arthroscopic picture is essential for patient selection, preoperative planning and discussion with the patient.